Shower head



C. H. BENTLEY Jan. 1, 1952 SHOWER HEAD Filed Nov. 6, 1947 1 NTOR. CLARENCE H. B

LEY

A TTURNEYS Patented Jan. 1, 1952 UNITED "STAT.

SHOWER HEAD NT OFFICE to Hazel Bletchcr Skinner, and ten per cent to Charlotte R. B. Robertson (also known as Mrs.

F. K. Robertson) Application November 6, 1947, Serial No. 784,389

6 Claims.

My invention relates to shower heads, and included in the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a shower head which incorporates a novel nozzle construction so arranged as to produce not only a uniform spray pattern, but also droplets of uniform size traveling at substantially uniform velocity.

Second, to provide a. shower head which involves a minimum number of parts, and in particular incorporates a floating or loosely mounted distributor pintle which is externally accessible to clear the spray head of any particles which may tend to clog or disturb the spray pattern.

With the above and other objects in view, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my spray head taken through l--I of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a bottom view of my spray head.

Figure 3 is a sectional view thereof taken through 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken through 4-4 of Figure 1 showing particularly the spray distributor zone of the spray nozzle.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view through 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view through 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the manner in which the distributor zone is formed by means of a swaging tool.

My shower head includes a mounting member I having an internally threaded socket 2 at one end for attachment to the end of a pipe and a journal ball 3 at its other end. A longitudinal bore 4 extends through the mounting nozzle.

A nozzle body 5 is provided witha longitudinal bore 6 which is counterbored at l to form a socket adapted to fit the journal ball 3. The inner end of the counterbore socket 1 forms a shoulder which receives a sealing washer 8 adapted to bear against the journal ball. The counterbored end of the body 5 is externally threaded and receives a retainer ring 9 having an internal flange of such dimensions as to pass over the socket portion 2 of the mounting member and engage the journal ball 3. When the retainer ring is loosened the nozzle body may be adjusted in its angular relation with respect to the mounting member, and upon tightening the retainer ring the nozzle body may be held in such adjusted position.

The bore 6 of the nozzle body is provided with a stepped orifice it], formed by a series of small counterbores of diminishing diameter.

The orifice In is directed into a discharge cone ii, the smaller end of which is slightly larger than the orifice. The lower extremity of the discharge cone is provided with a small clearance counterbore l2. Immediately above the clearance counterbore I2, there is provided a zone divided circumferentially into a series of ribs [3 and channels Hi. The upper extremities of the ribs merge into the normal surface of the discharge cone I I, whereas the lower extremities of the ribs confront the clearance counterbore 12.

The ribs and channels are approximately equal in width and define coaxial cone frustums having different degrees of divergence; that is, the cone defined by the channels M has greater divergence than the cone frustum defined by the ribs I 3. The slope of the channels is such that water droplets rebounding therefrom tend to diverge and form a hollow cone spray, whereas the slope of the ribs I3 is such that water droplets rebounding therefrom tend to converge and fill the hollow spray cone produced by the water from the channels l4.

Fitted within the orifice it is a pintle i5 which is suspended by a spider IS. The spider I8 is in the form of a cross-shaped stamping to which the upper end of the pintle is riveted. The pintle includes a downwardly converging conical portion I l which terminates in a shoulder is sloping outwardly and downwardly. Water flowing around the spider l5 and through the orifice in a state of turbulence impinges in part on the shoulder it and is deflected against the walls of the discharge cone it and the zone comprising the ribs !3 and channels M. The lower tip of the pintle projects downwardly far enough that it may be readily engaged by ones finger and pushed upwardly so that should any foreign matter tend to clo or interfere with the operation of the spray head such foreign matter may be shaken loose and forced out.

While the ribs l3 and channels it are referred to as defining cone frustums their surfaces may be fiat rather than arcuate and for the facets of pyramidal frustums. The difference in contour between superficial elements of a cone and a multi-sided pyramid has no noticeable effect on the resulting spray pattern, and therefore the term cone as herein used is intended to include a multi-sided pyramid.

The water flowing through and impinging on the surfaces of the channels it tends to form droplets of uniform size. This is also true of 3 the water which flows on and impinges from the surfaces of the ribs l3.

It is preferred to form the rib and channel zone of the discharge cone by means of a swaging tool I9 shown in Figure 7. The swaging tool is provided with a conical tip having ribs 2! and channels 22. The zone adjacent the counterbore l2 of the nozzle body is shaped to define the surfaces of the ribs l3. The swaging tool is then driven axially into the discharge cone causing the ribs 2! to form the channels l4.

Many other embodiments of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A shower head, comprising: a nozzle body defining a frustoconical discharge port, its walls diverging axially outwardly; a zone of said port having a plurality of ribs, their axially inner ends merging into the surface of said walls, said ribs having. radially inwardly directed surfaces defining a cone frustum of less divergence than the said walls of said port.

2. .A shower head, comprising: a nozzle body having a longitudinal bore defining a constriction and a frustoconical discharge port diverging axially outwardly therefrom; a pintle mounted in said constriction and having a deflecting surface for diverting water against the walls of said discharge port; a zone of said port having a plurality of ribs and channels defining radially inwardly directed planes forming sets of deflecting surfaces diverging at different angles, the planes of the deflecting surfaces of said channels being at such angle with respect to the path of water diverted by said pintle to direct impinging water into a diverging conical spray, and the surfaces of said ribs being at such angle with respect to the path of water diverted by said pintle to direct impinging water into the center of said conical spray.

3. A shower head, comprising: a nozzle body having a longitudinal bore defining a constriction anda frustoconical discharge port diverging axially outwardly therefrom; a pintle including a spider loosely fitting said bore above said constriction, and a pintle tip projecting into said port and accessible from the outer end of said body, said pintle having a deflecting surface for causing water to impinge on the Walls of said discharge port; a zone of said port having a plurality of ribs and channels defining radially inwardly directed planes forming sets of deflecting surfaces diverging at different angles, the planes of the deflecting surfaces of said channels being at such angle with respect to the path of water diverted by said pintle to direct impinging water into a diverging conical spray, and the surfaces of said ribs being at such angle with respect to the path of water diverted by said pintle to direct impinging water into the center of said conical spray.

4. A shower head, comprising: a nozzle body defining a frustoconical discharge port, its walls diverging axially outwardly; a zone of said port at its discharge end having a plurality of ribs and channels the sides of said ribs being in substantially radial planes, the surfaces of said channels and the surfaces of said ribs being approximately equal in width and forming sets of deflecting surfaces which define cone frustums diverging at different angles.

5. A shower head, comprising: a nozzle body having a longitudinal bore defining a constriction and a frustoconical discharge port diverging axially outwardly therefrom; a pintle mounted in said constriction and having a deflecting surface for diverting water in an outwardly diverging conical stream against the walls of said discharge port; a zone of said port at its discharge end having a plurality of ribs and channels the sides of said ribs being in substantially radial planes, the surfaces of said channels and the surfaces of said ribs being approximately equal in width and forming sets of deflecting surfaces which define cone frustums diverging at different angles so selected with respect to the path of the conical stream diverted by said pintle that Water impinging from the deflecting surfaces of said channels define a conical spray of lesser angle and water impinging from the surfaces of said ribs define a spray of still lesser angle tending to fill the central portion of said conical spray.

6. A shower head, comprising: a nozzle body having a longitudinal bore defining a constriction and a frustoconical discharge port diverging axially outwardly therefrom; a pintle including a spider loosely fitting said bore above said constriction, and a pintle tip projecting into said port and accessible from the outer end of said body, said pintle having a deflecting surface for causing water to impinge on the walls of said discharge port; a zone of said port at its discharge end having a plurality of ribs and channels the sides of.said ribs being in substantially radial planes, the surfaces of said channels and the surfaces of said ribs being approximately equal in width and forming sets of deflecting surfaces which define cone frustums diverging at different angles.

CLARENCE H. BENTLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,233,359 Hoops July 17, 1917 1,504,000 Simmons Aug. 5, 1924 1,996,545 Knowlton Apr. 2, 1935 2,012,623 Boyd Aug. 27, 1935 2,285,831 Pennypacker June 9, 1942 2,348,776 Bentley May 16, 1944 2,423,960 Bucknell et al July 15, 1947 

